The Bishops’ Synod is the oldest congregational body of the Christian church, defining administrative, canonical, ritual-denominational resolutions.
In 2013 and 2014, after a break of about 5 centuries, the Bishops’ Synod was convened in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, which adopted the Service of Canonization of the victims of the Armenian Genocide committed by Turkey in 1915; and discussed the new canon of the uniformity of the rites of the Holy Baptism Services.
The Bishops’ Synod is the union of the Bishops of the Hierarchical Sees of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church.
The Bishops’ Synod has the following jurisdiction:
- Setting the Doctrinal issues;
- Ritual reforms and setting new rituals;
- Setting new rules and reforms related to the ecclesiastical-religious issues;
- Approval of the results of inter-church dialogues;
- Discussion of inter-church and inter-religious issues;
- Issues assigned and authorized by the National Ecclesiastical Assembly.
The Bishops’ Synod is formed from the Bishops of the Armenian Church; the President is the Catholicos of All Armenians.